Hungarian football – Hungary Todayhttps://hungarytoday.hu
Read here the latest news about HungaryThu, 21 Mar 2019 16:25:29 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.10https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/cropped-favicon-32x32.pngHungarian football – Hungary Todayhttps://hungarytoday.hu
3232Hungarian Prodigy Scores First League Goal in Shoes Featuring Hungarian Cockadehttps://hungarytoday.hu/hungarian-prodigy-scores-first-league-goal-in-shoes-featuring-hungarian-cockade/
https://hungarytoday.hu/hungarian-prodigy-scores-first-league-goal-in-shoes-featuring-hungarian-cockade/#respondMon, 18 Mar 2019 14:12:16 +0000https://hungarytoday.hu/?p=56008Dominik Szoboszlai, the most talented Hungarian football player at the moment, scored his first goal with FC Red Bull Salzburg this past weekend while wearing a pair of shoes featuring the Hungarian cockade. 18-Year Old Hungarian Football Prodigy Invited to National Team On Sunday, the 18-year-old player was given a chance to show off his […]

]]>Dominik Szoboszlai, the most talented Hungarian football player at the moment, scored his first goal with FC Red Bull Salzburg this past weekend while wearing a pair of shoes featuring the Hungarian cockade.

On Sunday, the 18-year-old player was given a chance to show off his skills in a match against FC Wacker Innsbruck. While he was playing in Austria, people in Hungary celebrated the anniversary of the Revolution of 1848 on March 15th. Szoboszlai had not forgotten about the national holiday, however, and paid tribute to it on the field in a notable, yet understated way.

After scoring his first goal with the team while wearing the special shoes, what began as a unique celebration of history ended as football history in the making. Szoboszlai expressed his gratitude for the opportunity in an Instagram post: “It is an honor to wear these unique shoes on Sunday.”

]]>https://hungarytoday.hu/hungarian-prodigy-scores-first-league-goal-in-shoes-featuring-hungarian-cockade/feed/0 https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/54204011_924939981175920_4302003221229993984_o.jpg 3266Foreign Minister: New Football Pitches, Academies to be Built in Carpathian Basinhttps://hungarytoday.hu/foreign-minister-new-football-pitches-academies-halls-to-be-built-in-carpathian-basin/
https://hungarytoday.hu/foreign-minister-new-football-pitches-academies-halls-to-be-built-in-carpathian-basin/#respondMon, 18 Mar 2019 11:07:38 +0000https://hungarytoday.hu/?p=55942New football pitches, academies and halls will be built throughout the Carpathian Basin, including in areas beyond the borders where large ethnic Hungarian communities live, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday at the opening of an astroturf football pitch built with Hungarian government support in Nyárádszereda (Miercurea Nirajului). Hungarians have always loved sport and […]

]]>New football pitches, academies and halls will be built throughout the Carpathian Basin, including in areas beyond the borders where large ethnic Hungarian communities live, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday at the opening of an astroturf football pitch built with Hungarian government support in Nyárádszereda (Miercurea Nirajului).

Hungarians have always loved sport and now also want to become a sporting nation, he said.

That is why we are building academies, to enable young people to develop under the best possible circumstances, enjoying every single aspect of spiritual and moral training”

Szijjártó said young people throughout the Carpathian Basin can rely on Hungary’s support. The government considers it an obligation to look after them in the areas of sport, education and culture. He added that the government had great respect for the work carried out by the Szekler Soccer Academy.

]]>https://hungarytoday.hu/foreign-minister-new-football-pitches-academies-halls-to-be-built-in-carpathian-basin/feed/0 https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/D_KOS20181118029.jpg 113623268326618-Year Old Hungarian Football Prodigy Invited to National Teamhttps://hungarytoday.hu/18-year-old-hungarian-football-prodigy-invited-to-national-team/
https://hungarytoday.hu/18-year-old-hungarian-football-prodigy-invited-to-national-team/#respondTue, 12 Mar 2019 13:52:30 +0000https://hungarytoday.hu/?p=55418For the first time in his career, Hungary’s most promising young talent, Dominik Szoboszlai, has been called up for the senior national team’s two upcoming EC-qualifiers. At the moment, Szoboszlai is considered the top talent in Hungarian football. The Székesfehérvár-born player began his career with Főnix Gold FC, a youth club founded by his father. […]

]]>For the first time in his career, Hungary’s most promising young talent, Dominik Szoboszlai, has been called up for the senior national team’s two upcoming EC-qualifiers.

At the moment, Szoboszlai is considered the top talent in Hungarian football. The Székesfehérvár-born player began his career with Főnix Gold FC, a youth club founded by his father. He later signed and spent one year with MTK. Aside from appearing in 38 games with Hungarian U teams, in 2016, he signed with the wealthiest Austrian club, RB Salzburg. Salzburg lent him to its second division feeder club, FC Liefering. He was called to train with the first team last summer. Thus far, he has played in six matches with Austrian Bundesliga and scored twice in the two cup matches he appeared in.

In October 2017, theGuardian named him among the 60 best young talents. According to the detailed article, Szoboszlai “has almost Toni Kroos-like qualities – brilliant ball-striking ability with both feet, a great range of passing, beautiful balance and a really high footballing IQ.”

In addition, as Italian Il Tempo revealed, Szoboszlai might be on Italian top club Juventus’ radar as well as a summer target. In January, the club’s sporting director accidentally left a paper detailing the names of potential signings at a restaurant. According to the “document,” Fabio Paratici estimates Szoboszlai’s value at EUR 10 million.

According to Transfermarkt, he is currently valued at EUR 2 million, making him the ninth most valuable Hungarian footballer and the 50th most valuable player born after the Millenium worldwide.

In the two upcoming qualifiers, the Hungarian team is scheduled to play Slovakia next Thursday in Nagyszombat (Trnava) and WC silver medalist Croatia in a game hosted by Budapest’s Groupama Arena. Both matches are already sold out.

]]>https://hungarytoday.hu/18-year-old-hungarian-football-prodigy-invited-to-national-team/feed/0 https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/48930736_865061587163760_3082117395452526592_o.jpg 32683266‘Impressive and Elegant’ Hungarian Stadium Awarded Stadium of the Yearhttps://hungarytoday.hu/impressive-and-elegant-hungarian-stadium-awarded-stadium-of-the-year/
https://hungarytoday.hu/impressive-and-elegant-hungarian-stadium-awarded-stadium-of-the-year/#respondFri, 08 Mar 2019 15:09:50 +0000https://hungarytoday.hu/?p=55221For the first time, a Hungarian stadium has won first place in the Stadium of the Year awards. This year’s jury award went to the DVTK Stadium in Miskolc. Despite being the smallest ever stadium, with a capacity of 14,680, to win the award, as one of the members of the jury pointed out, the […]

]]>For the first time, a Hungarian stadium has won first place in the Stadium of the Year awards. This year’s jury award went to the DVTK Stadium in Miskolc.

Despite being the smallest ever stadium, with a capacity of 14,680, to win the award, as one of the members of the jury pointed out, the stadium was simply ahead of its competition. “Every element [was] considered to produce this impressive stadium,” said Robert D. Kennedy of Holmes and Miller. Kennedy particularly appreciated the vision and elegance displayed by Közti Architects.

Fans were also given an opportunity to vote. In the popular vote — won by Volgograd Arena in Russia and dominated by Russian stadia — DVTK stadium came in 9th place. The DVTK stadium was not the only Hungarian stadium to be nominated, however. MOL Vidi FC‘s MOL Aréna Sóstó ended up qualifying in the jury vote, ultimately coming in 8th, and placing 11th in the popular vote.

The new football stadium in Miskolc, located in the city’s Újdiósgyőr neighborhood (hence the club’s name: Diósgyőri VTK), has been a state-funded project costing a total of HUF 13 billion (Eur 41.2 million). In the planning phase, a decision was made to not retain the new east stand; the entirety of the historical stadium from 1939 was razed to the ground. Construction began in November of 2016 and the stadium was put into use in May of 2018. Although DVTK is not among the most successful Hungarian teams (they never won the championship and have only won the cup twice), it has one of the largest and most loyal, fanatic fanbases in Hungary.

Via StadiumDB.com / Stadiony.net

Stadium of the Year 2018 is the ninth edition of the world’s largest public vote on newly-built stadiums. Its host, StadiumDB.com, is based on Stadiony.net, a Polish website wishing to present the initial renderings, construction, daily operations, demolition and history of football stadiums. The site also releases annual attendance reports comparing all clubs with crowds of over 10,000 people per game.

]]>https://hungarytoday.hu/impressive-and-elegant-hungarian-stadium-awarded-stadium-of-the-year/feed/0 https://hungarytoday.hu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/dvtk_stadion02.jpg 32683266“Big Money, Big Football?”: Govt Gives Further Tax Discounts to Struggling Hungarian Footballhttps://hungarytoday.hu/government-gives-further-tax-discounts-to-struggling-hungarian-football/
https://hungarytoday.hu/government-gives-further-tax-discounts-to-struggling-hungarian-football/#respondWed, 19 Dec 2018 07:35:12 +0000https://hungarytoday.hu/?p=48901In a modification presented by Deputy PM Zsolt Semjén, the government again doubled the upper limit of tax concession for sportsmen, called EKHO, to a yearly income of 500 million forints (Eur 1,55 million), a monthly net of 35,4 million forints (Eur 110,000). The decision is controversial and many view it as yet another example […]

]]>In a modification presented by Deputy PM Zsolt Semjén, the government again doubled the upper limit of tax concession for sportsmen, called EKHO, to a yearly income of 500 million forints (Eur 1,55 million), a monthly net of 35,4 million forints (Eur 110,000). The decision is controversial and many view it as yet another example of Orbán’s questionable football obsession, as only certain Hungarian football clubs can afford such wages.

About EKHO

The simplified contribution to public revenues (EKHO) means better tax payable (19,5 percent for the employer and 15 percent for the employee) and simpler conditions for professionals typically in the cultural, sport and media sectors. Essentially, annual income must stay below a certain amount, and the minimum mandatory tax base for social security contribution payments is set at the minimum wage. Introduced by Ferenc Gyurcsány’s left-liberal cabinet to whiten certain sectors, the Fidesz-led government has since extended it on multiple occasions. This latest doubling (just like the two last increases) is, however, only available for sportsmen. Last year, the ruling parties voted on an amendment which exempted sports clubs from paying tax after EKHO salaries.

Supporting sports teams with tax discounts

Spokesperson of the Hungarian Football Association (MLSZ), Jenő Sipos, welcomed the decision, saying that exceptional salaries are indispensable when it comes to improving the competitiveness of Hungarian football clubs. Sipos also noted that EKHO had a good effect on financial discipline and transparency, as beforehand, clubs were often paying their players in hidden, illegal ways. Sipos also suggested that this new regulation might come in handy for the two wealthiest clubs of the Hungarian championship, Ferencváros and MOL Vidi.

Orbán at the opening ceremony of the TSC Football Academy in Topolya (Bačka Topola), in northern Serbia’s Vojvodina province. The government is also generous with clubs and academies that have a Hungarian background, beyond the borders. Image via Szilárd Koszticsák/ MTI

This latest modification is nicknamed by many as “lex Dzsudzsák” in reference to PM Orbán and MLSZ’s goal of attracting star player Balázs Dzsudzsák “back home” from the United Arab Emirates. Some say that the failed signing attempt by Ferencváros in 2016 of Rafael van der Vaart could have potentially prompted the hike. Reportedly, the Dutch veteran star requested a salary (Eur 1,2 million) that Fradi could not pay at the time, but the current modification (which lowers the tax payable by the player) might solve the issue.

Internationally competitive salaries in Hungarian football

After comparing this upper limit to international data, it appears that, with this hike, salaries could potentially compete with those offered by middle-class teams of top European championships. In Italian Serie A, according to data collected by Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport in 2017, not one player’s annual salary in Fiorentina, Udinese or Sampdoria matched this amount of money (EUR 1,55 million). Likewise, during the 2017/18 season in Germany, only the average salaries offered by five (top) clubs exceeded this. It must be noted, however, that according to State Secretary Péter Benő Banai, no one reached the previous limit (Huf 250 million) last year and only eight players earned more than 100 million forints (Eur 310,000) in Hungary.

In any case, a comparison of wages to results seems to confirm that playing in Hungary has become (increasingly) “worthwhile,” despite the fact that results are often lagging behind. In 2017, on UEFA’s list presenting aggregate wages spent on players, Hungarian clubs were ranked 24th (spending on average 3,7 million on wages per club), while the Hungarian championships was only ranked 35th in strength.

Money and infrastructure is no longer an issue. Orbán at the construction of the super-modern and super-expensive Puskás stadium. Image via UjPuskas- Facebook

State-supported football

The government’s flagship support of football is a long debated topic in Hungary, and many think this is due to Orbán’s excessive love of the game. In Hungary, football clubs highly depend on state intervention and public funds. Many companies backing Hungarian clubs are state-linked or owned by Fidesz-allies. A high percentage of the income of the clubs comes from a special tax method dubbed as TAO–a public fund–as confirmed by Hungary’s Supreme Court (Kúria). TAO is a scheme that allows Hungarian companies to make “charitable contributions” to qualified sports clubs in lieu of paying part or all of their profit taxes in the budget. Orbán’s Puskás Academy in Felcsút is the biggest beneficiary of the program.

“Big money, little football?”

One of the most famous quotes from Ferenc Puskás, Hungarian football legend of the 50s and 60s is “Little money, little football; big money, big football.” This means that when they had been paid well enough, they showcased their talents, but when the salary was lower, they only played for a narrow win.

However, many critics think that the results, performances and attendances in the new stadiums (on average about 19,000 spectators per round, less than 3,000 per game) over the past few years don’t justify the ever-increasing state support, especially while other sectors, like education and health-care, often lack funds. As Népszava noted, while a football player could now potentially earn Huf 500 million with reduced taxes, in next year’s budget, only a little more than this amount is allocated to leisure and student sports.

Vidi’s equalizer against English top club Chelsea FC last week. Image via Tibor Illyés/ MTI.

The success of this attitude towards football is uncertain. At the moment, only minor signs can be observed: this year, MOL Vidi qualified for the Europa League group stage and finished third in its group with a reportedly outstanding performance. The wealthiest Hungarian club, Ferencváros, has long been unable to have any such success internationally. Thus far, only a handful of players coming out of the academy system have reached international levels.

On the other hand, this amount of money could attract quality players to Hungary and this could lead to strong, competitive squads. As other Hungarian ballgames like water polo and handball have shown, money can produce successful clubs. Unfortunately, this comes at a price as a struggle for international results using quality foreigners does not leave room for Hungarians to grow. But, knowing the current state of Hungarian football, even a Hungarian team with an all-foreigner line-up could win the hearts of many if it brings results.

As Viktor Orbán’s decision to aid Hungarian football with more and more money is unwavering, one can only hope that ‘big money’ will mean ‘big football’ this time.

featured image: empty stands in Groupama Arena, when Partizani Tirana, a club ranked well behind Ferencváros, knocked out Fradi from the Champions League in 2016; via Szilárd Koszticsák/ MTI